1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to outboard motors and, more particularly, to specific mounting configurations of an outboard motor to a transom of a boat, including the arrangement of a motor and hydraulic pump relative to the steering components of the outboard motor and further including a secure means for fastening the outboard motor to the transom of a boat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different types of outboard motors are well known to those skilled in the art. Numerous techniques have been developed for mounting an outboard motor to a transom of a boat, including many different types of steering and tilting arrangements.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,853, which issued to Strang on Oct. 14, 1975, describes a low profile outboard motor with an in-line engine. The outboard motor comprises a propulsion unit that is adapted to be attached to the transom of a boat for vertical swinging movement relative to the transom about a horizontal tilt axis and for steering movement relative to the transom about a steering axis extending transversely of the tilt axis. The propulsion unit comprises a lower unit including an exhaust gas discharge outlet normally located under water, a power head assembly rigidly fixed to the top of the lower unit and including an engine with a plurality of vertical in-line cylinders each including an exhaust port, together with an exhaust gas discharge system including an inverted "U" shaped passageway comprising an upper junction portion located above the at rest water level when the outboard motor is boat mounted, a first leg extending downwardly from the junction portion and communicating with at least one of the exhaust ports, and a second leg extending downwardly from the junction portion and separately from the first leg and communicating with the lower unit underwater exhaust gas discharge outlet. Also included in the outboard motor is an upwardly open water guard which extends upwardly from above the lower unit, in watertight encircling relation to the engine, to above the at rest water level.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,847, which issued to Blanchard on Oct. 19, 1982, describes a high tilt pivot mounting arrangement for an outboard motor. The marine propulsion device comprises a transom bracket adapted to be fixed to a boat transom, a swivel including a vertical leg having upper and lower ends, and a pair of arms extending upwardly in laterally spaced relation from the upper end of the swivel bracket vertical leg and including respective upper ends, a first pivot connecting the upper ends of the arms and the transom bracket for vertical swinging of the swivel bracket relative to the transom bracket about a first axis which is horizontal when the transom bracket is boat mounted, a propulsion unit including a power head and lower unit fixedly connected to the power head and including, at the lower end thereof, a propeller, and a second pivot connecting the propulsion unit and the swivel bracket vertical leg for movement of the propulsion unit in common with the swivel bracket about the first axis and for steering movement of the propulsion unit relative to the swivel bracket about an axis which extend transversely to the first axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,986, which issued to Stevens on Oct. 26, 1982, describes an outboard motor with elevated horizontal pivot axis. The outboard comprises a transom bracket adapted to be fixed to a boat transom and having a generally flat mounting surface for engagement with the back of the transom, a swivel bracket, a pivot on the swivel bracket and on the transom bracket rearwardly of the mounting surface for pivotally connecting the swivel bracket and the transom bracket for tilting movement between a normal operating position and a raised tilt position and about a tilt axis which is generally horizontal when the transom bracket is fixed to the boat transom, a propulsion unit including a power head and a lower unit rigidly secured to the power head, and a pivot connected to the propulsion unit and located below the power head and connected to the swivel bracket for pivotally connecting the propulsion unit and the swivel bracket for steering movement about an axis transverse to the tilt axis and such that the propulsion unit remains rearwardly of the plane of the transom bracket mounting surface throughout movement of the swivel bracket from the normal operating position to the tilt position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,629 which issued to Hall et al on Dec. 14, 1982, describes a hydraulic system for outboard motors with sequentially operating tilt and trim means. The marine propulsion device comprises a transom bracket adapted to be connected to a boat transom, a first pivot connecting a stem bracket to the transom bracket for pivotal movement of the stem bracket relative to the transom bracket about a first pivot axis which is horizontal when the transom bracket is boat mounted, a second pivot connecting a swivel bracket to the stem bracket below the first pivot for pivotal movement of the swivel bracket with the stem bracket and relative to the stem bracket about a second pivot axis parallel to the first pivot axis, a king pin pivotally connecting a propulsion unit including a rotatably mounted propeller to the swivel bracket for steering movement of the propulsion unit relative to the swivel bracket about a generally vertical axis and for common pivotal movement with the swivel bracket in a vertical plane about the first and second horizontal axes, a trim cylinder piston assembly pivotally connected to the stem bracket and to the swivel bracket, a tilt cylinder-piston assembly pivotally connected to the transom bracket and to the stem bracket, and a fluid conduit system communicating between a source of pressure fluid and each of the tilt cylinder-piston assembly and the trim cylinder-piston assembly and including apparatus operable, during reverse operation of the propulsion unit, for causing initial full extension to the trim cylinder-piston assembly, followed by extension of the tilt cylinder-piston assembly, and for causing initial full contraction of the tilt cylinder-piston assembly, followed by subsequent contraction of the trim cylinder piston assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,856, which issued to Hall et al on May 24, 1983, describes a lateral support arrangement for outboard motors with separate tilt and trim axes. The outboard motor comprises a transom bracket adapted to be connected to a boat transom, a propulsion unit which is mounted to the transom bracket for pivotal steering movement of the propulsion unit in a horizontal plane and for pivotal movement of the propulsion unit in the vertical plane between a lowermost running position and a full tilt position, which propulsion unit mounting includes a first pivot connecting an intermediate bracket to the transom bracket for pivotal movement of the intermediate bracket relative to the transom bracket about a first pivot axis which is horizontal when the transom bracket is boat mounted, whereby to enable movement of the propulsion unit through a tilt range, a second pivot connecting a swivel bracket to the intermediate bracket for pivotal movement of the swivel bracket with the intermediate bracket and relative to the intermediate bracket about a second pivot axis parallel to the first pivot axis, whereby to enable movement of the propulsion unit through a trim range, and a king pin pivotally connecting the propulsion unit to the swivel bracket for steering movement of the propulsion unit relative to the swivel bracket about a generally vertical axis and for common pivotal movement of the swivel bracket in a vertical plane above the first and second horizontal axes, hydraulic cylinders for sequentially displacing the propulsion unit from the lowermost position through the trim range and then through the tilt range to the full tilt position, and a support on the transom bracket for providing side support to the intermediate bracket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,238, which issued to Payne on Jul. 26, 1983, describes an outboard motor mounting means which affords upward tilting without travel of the motor forward of the boat transom. The marine propulsion device comprises a bracket adapted to be fixed to the transom of a boat and including a generally planar mounting surface engaged with the boat transom when the boat is boat mounted, which bracket also includes a lower part having a lower bearing with a steering axis which extends generally vertical when the bracket is boat mounted, a member including a lower portion extending in the lower bearing and a pair of laterally spaced arms connected to the lower portion and respectively including upper horizontal bearings having a common axis located in spaced relation above the lower bearing, a steering arm fixed to the member for steerably rotating the member within the lower bearing about the generally vertical axis, a propulsion unit including a power head and a lower unit extending fixedly downward from the power head and including a rotatably mounted propeller, and trunnions on the power head adjacent the top thereof and received in the upper horizontal bearings for pivotally connecting the propulsion unit to the member for movement about the horizontal axis between a running position with the propeller submerged in water and with the propulsion unit located wholly aft of the bracket mounting surface and an elevated position with the propeller substantially out of the water and with the propulsion unit located wholly aft of the bracket mounting surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,634, which issued to Blanchard on Sep. 27, 1983, describes an outboard motor with steering arm located aft of the transom and below the tilt axis. The outboard motor comprises a transom bracket adapted to be fixed to the transom of a boat, a propulsion unit supporting a thrust producing element, and a bracket assembly connecting the propulsion unit to the transom bracket so as to provide for pivotal steering movement of the propulsion unit relative to the transom bracket and for tilting of the propulsion unit relative to the transom bracket about a tilt axis located rearwardly of the transom, which bracket assembly connecting the propulsion unit to the transom bracket includes a steering arm connected to the propulsion unit and extending forwardly therefrom below the tilt axis and having a forward end terminating rearwardly of the transom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,945, which issued to Ferguson on May 22, 1984, describes an outboard motor mounting arrangement. The marine propulsion installation comprises a marine propulsion device including a transom bracket having a mounting portion fixed to the rear of the boat transom below the upper edge thereof, and a pair of laterally spaced arms extending upwardly from the mounting portion and including respective upper ends located rearwardly of the boat transom and above the upper edge thereof, a swivel bracket comprising a mounting portion and a pair of laterally spaced arms extending upwardly from the swivel bracket mounting portion and including respective upper ends, a tilt pin connecting the upper ends of the transom bracket and swivel bracket arms to provide the pivotal movement of the swivel bracket relative to the transom bracket about a tilt axis which is horizontally located rearwardly of the transom and above the upper edge thereof, a propulsion unit including an internal combustion engine and a propeller mounted for rotation and driven by the engine, and a king pin connecting the propulsion unit to the swivel bracket mounting portion for pivotal steering movement of the propulsion unit relative to the swivel bracket about a second axis transverse to the tilt axis and for common movement of the propulsion unit with the swivel bracket about the tilt axis and without travel of the propulsion unit over the transom upper edge or into engagement with the transom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,770, which issued to Ferguson on Oct. 8, 1985, describes an outboard motor mounting arrangement. The marine propulsion installation comprises a marine propulsion device including a transom bracket having a mounting portion fixed to the rear of the boat transom below the upper edge thereof, and a pair of laterally spaced arms extending upwardly from the mounting portion and including respective upper ends located rearwardly of the boat transom and above the upper edge thereof, a swivel bracket comprising a mounting portion and a pair of laterally spaced arms extending upwardly from the swivel bracket mounting portion and including respective upper ends, a tilt pin connecting the upper ends of the transom bracket and swivel bracket arms to provide the pivotal movement of the swivel bracket relative to the transom bracket about a tilt axis which is horizontally located rearwardly of the transom and above the upper edge thereof, a propulsion unit including an internal combustion engine and a propeller mounted for rotation and driven by the engine, and a king pin connecting the propulsion unit to the swivel bracket mounting portion for pivotal steering movement of the propulsion unit relative to the swivel bracket about a second axis transverse to the tilt axis and for common movement of the propulsion unit within the swivel bracket about the tilt axis and without travel of the propulsion unit over the transom upper edge or into engagement with the transom.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,651, which issued to Binversie et al on Oct. 13, 1992, describes a marine propulsion device tilt tube. An outboard motor comprises a transom bracket which is adapted to be mounted on the transom of a boat and which includes first and second generally horizontally spaced apart portions, a tilt tube which extends through the transom bracket portions and along a generally horizontal tilt axis and which includes a first end portion extending outwardly of the first transom portion and a second end portion extending outwardly of the second transom bracket portion, a swivel bracket mounted on the tilt tube for pivotal movement relative to the transom bracket above the tilt axis, a propulsion unit mounted on the swivel bracket for common movement therewith about the tilt axis and for pivotal movement relative thereto about a generally vertical steering axis, the propulsion unit including a propeller shaft adapted to support a propeller, and a steering arm adapted to be mounted to a remote steering system, and structure on both of the tilt tube end portions for permitting the remote steering system to be alternatively connected to the first end portion or to the second end portion.
Known outboard motor mounting arrangements exhibit several disadvantages. First, most known outboard motor mounting arrangements cause the steering axis to be tilted when the outboard motor is trimmed or tilted. In other words, the steering axis moves with the outboard motor relative to the transom when the outboard motor is trimmed or tilted. In addition, known mounting configurations for outboard motors typically leave hydraulic pumps and electric motors exposed within their structure and also require valuable space for mounting the hydraulic pump and its related electric motor. In addition, most outboard motors are attached to a transom of the boat in a way that results in disadvantageous force vectors and torques being imposed on the components of the outboard motor and mounting structure. It would therefore be beneficial if an outboard motor mounting structure arrangement could be provided which does not require the steering axis to be tilted when the outboard motor is trimmed or tilted. It would be further beneficial if a means could be provided which allowed the hydraulic pump and associated electric motor to be housed within components of the steering and tilting system to avoid the necessity of using valuable space for these components. In addition, it would be beneficial if a simple, but secure, fastening system could be providing for mounting the outboard motor to the transom of a boat.